Georgetown, Guyana – (August 8, 2017) The Queen’s Baton Relay officially kicked off today in Guyana on Main Street, Georgetown with President David Granger carrying it from State House to corner of Main and Quamina Streets, where Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo received it. The Head of State was accompanied by President of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), K.A. Juman Yassin.
Other dignitaries, who received the Baton at various locations in the City, include Minister of Education, Ms. Nicolette Henry, Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Mr. Sydney Allicock, Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr. Barton Scotland, Commissioner of Police, Mr. Seelall Persaud, Mayor of Georgetown, Ms. Patricia Chase-Green and members of the diplomatic community.
Tomorrow, the Baton will be taken to Kaieteur Falls in the Potaro-Siparuni Region after which it will be taken to Surama and Annai in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo Region (Region Nine).
The Relay, which is a tradition that celebrates the diversity of the Commonwealth, carries a message from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II that calls for Commonwealth athletes to come together in peaceful and friendly competition.
The Relay started on Commonwealth Day on March 13, 2017 at the Buckingham Palace. It will travel a journey of 388 days across Commonwealth territories, covering a total of about 230,000 km, before arriving at the final destination in Gold Coast, Australia, the host country for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
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